Angel Eyes
by Aristolea
Summary: Edited Repost. For some, Duel Academy is a place to make dreams come true. For others, it's more of a save haven than anything else. However its students came, though, they will join together and undoubtedly leave forever changed. Begins in Season 1 and progresses through Season 4. Multiple pairings with character development. Rating will change.


Hello everyone! Thank you so very much for opening this story; I really appreciate it! To a sparse few among you, this might be a familiar story - Angel Eyes was a story I wrote a while ago that I took down (along with my other account, Beautyheart18) for some _serious_ overhaul. I really want to continue it, not just to re-post here but for myself as well, and so it makes me happy to post the first new and improved (well, I think so at least...) chapter here!

Now, just one little Disclaimer... I do _not_ own Yugioh! Gx. Really. If I did, there's no way in _Hell_ I would have let 4Kids come near it, but alas, I had no say in the matter. I also wouldn't let anyone rename perfectly good characters, particularly if they are drawn to painfully ridiculous names like... Jesse and Gecko... Thanks be to God those weren't combined into one character, but I'm sure you all feel me on that one.

* * *

Six-thirty a.m. Warming golden hues of dawn creeping in over the cityscape to break the fast of darkness from the night before, at first timidly advancing on the land with a faded shade of yellow, yet evolving into a confident array of vivid colors as the hour also further departed from the night. The sun did not bring life to the city per se. Those below its warmth proved themselves to be productive even surrounded by a cloak of shadow, relying on streetlights, headlights, and the irritatingly bright fluorescence of countless offices to guide them in their daily work when nature was not yet of assistance herself, but it did provide a sense of relief when it at last peeked over the eastern horizon. There was a great sigh when it did so, and ironically the city's response was to darken in welcome; the headlights were gone, the streetlights dim, and a horde of noble office workers dashed to the walls to near rip the light switches out of their boards to close the overhead annoyances, even if they would unfortunately fall victim to them some hours later. In the sun there was this sense of connection and hope and contentment for the present that was absent from a great deal of modernity, and yet in its simplicity it was usually overlooked. Not worrying about the future, about the headaches that would surely return once artificial light became a necessity once more, or the funding that would once again be entreated to combat a multi-acre electric bill; _that_ was perhaps the dawn's most meaningful gift - lesson, even. Of course, being taken for granted served to cut the potentially enlightening aspects of it, yet the possibility for learning was not altogether lost, and actually retained by a select few.

"Shit…! I've got to get a move on…!"

The speaker of the words was decidedly _not_ one of the aforementioned few. Perhaps in some sort of different circumstances, the mind resting inside her head of wavy brown locks and spearmint eyes would find itself much more open to receiving what knowledge nature had to offer, but in her current state it was unlikely. In fact, the girl didn't dedicate the slightest concern towards whether or not she was indeed missing some key aspect of life or some sense of ease which she ought feel. The future wasn't something to worry about, no; it was something to act on without thought because to worry about it would only induce a state of doubt, panic, and hopelessness. There were far more ways in which something _bad_ could happen than there were something _good_, and when it came to catastrophizing and playing out all possible scenarios...it seemed the negative outcomes were much more prolific. They had much longer life spans and were highly skilled in reproduction; on the other hand, positive outcomes, in the girl's speculations, tended towards infertility. They happened, they were good, and then they were done; they didn't call forth any equally good heir to succeed them - merely faded away into memories.

She stood from where she had been kneeling beside a large suitcase on the floor and closed the lid on it as far as she could before accepting the need for more pressure than her upper body alone could provide. A sharp turn and light "thud" later, she was clicking both latches shut with success with the case suppressed uncomfortably by her bottom. If she weren't _quite _so bony, there was a good chance the position wouldn't trouble her in the slightest, but she grimaced a little. At least it was _worth_ the effort, she determined; after all, how could she expect to get through a year at Duel Academy without bringing all of what she could fit into the ocean liner of a school bus without bearing the cost of an "Excess Luggage" fee? In reality, she doubted highly that she _had_ enough to be charged extra; a preacher of the thrift, the brunette didn't see the necessity of stockpiling more than she needed. Unless the government was doing a particularly good job at shading the truth (something she doubted - not for the sake of the motives of the Powers that Be, but for the would-be _success_ of the endeavor), there was no war in the immediate future, and the whole paper money system seemed to still be going strong. It wasn't as though one needed to hoard what valuables they could in preparation for an oncoming return to the gold standard.

With her packing complete, the girl took up a light jacket from the back of her desk chair and shrugged it on before closing a hand around the stack of forty-something odd cards resting neatly nearby. She swallowed a lump in her throat as she turned and scurried out the door before her apprehension caused her to tarry further. However nervous she was, now was not the time to dwell on it. There were a number of perfectly good opportunities to chant little defeatist mantras in her head (or not, depending on the occupancy level of the room) _after_ she passed her practical exam that morning.

"Good God… You don't have to bless me, really; just be a little nicer than usual, won't you?"

There was no answer to her sarcastic plea, but that didn't mean the girl experienced no amount of calm whatsoever. Having encased her deck within one of her jacket pockets, she let her now free hand touch the filigree cross tapping against her collarbone and let the rougher surface displace the smooth sensation of the Duel Monsters cards which currently caused her anxiety. She could do this - she had to, after all, or her plans for getting the _Hell_ out of this rut of a life fate had tossed her ass in would be completely shot. She was nearly out the door, about one inch of the heel of her boot being the sole offender in technically rendering her still "inside" when a stern voice called to her from over her shoulder. Immediately she halted, unable to continue despite knowing the practical exams were beginning soon. A chill ran up her spine when piercing eyes settled on her form; she didn't have to turn around to feel them.

"Alicia." There was more coming after that, she knew, and so she did not yet respond. "Where _are _you going at this hour - made up like that?"

Alicia knew well enough the state of her dress - not fancy by any means, but put together enough to tell she hadn't thrown it on a few minutes ago - was obvious in and of itself as to where she might possibly be going, but the other waited for a response. He tapped his foot lightly on the parquet, one hand firmly set on his hip. There was no easy way out of the situation, and so she chose the lesser of all evils as a response; the truth.

"Fa-…." She cleared her throat for a second when the syllable, she noticed, caused the opposing pair of glass-green eyes to wince. "Kieran. I'm going into the city. The practical portion of the Duel Academy Entrance Exam is this morning." There was a brief pause as Alicia hoped she could cease her explanation with that, but those hopes were trashed as the man raised an eyebrow; the arch appeared to pull up the corresponding corner of his mouth into a disapproving sneer. "I'm going to take it."

"The Hell good will _that_ do you?" He continued as she cast her eyes down at the floor. "I've told you well enough that I'm not sending you to that camp of a school…"

"It's not a _camp_, Kieran - it's an internationally accredited senior high!" she retorted, turning her back to her father once again and resuming her journey to the city. After taking a step, though, she paused once more and shook her head. "I know you don't think it's worth anything, but I _want_ to do this. It's a great opportunity to be independant - see somewhere new, meet new people. I can fit in there because unlike here, I don't have to feel like we - the other students and I - have _nothing_ in common; by definition, we as students there will share Duel Monsters…!"

She could hear him "Hmph!" while crossing his arms over his chest. "You don't even care for Duel Monsters - not the way _those_ people do, and thank God for that. You don't have it in you to go trying to make a living for yourself at playing _games_." Alicia could have attempted to combat him with a whole reference tome of data indicating the salaries of professional duelists, as well as those of auxiliary positions also catered to by dueling academies such as this one owned by KaibaCorp, but she imagined she'd tried that before with obviously limited success. "You're independant here as it is. Why do you think you have to go and waste years of your life and _my _money to prove you're the same damn thing as you are now? You'd just as well run away, if it's the location that appeals to you. You're quite resourceful; I'm sure you'd take decent enough care."

The girl had long since been conditioned by years of similar behavior to not surfacely respond to her father's biting words, but underneath her iron shell her heart constricted painfully and sent a burning urge to cry to her eyes. She did not adhere to the request, but she did begin taking steps away from the house again, heading over to where a bike - hers - lay by the fence from earlier that morning and slipping on the riding gloves set atop the seat.

"You wouldn't have me anywhere else."

"You don't _need_ anywhere else. You've got a school. You've got a community. You've got a damn _roof_." He huffed again as she settled her waifish figure atop the bike. "You're an ingrate, is what you are - one Hell of a starry-eyed ingrate. To think you would 'fit in' at Seto Kaiba's prized academy…" With one last comment, he slammed the door closed. "I hope failing this exam knocks you off that cloud you're on. We're _both_ too old for this shit."

Alicia chewed her bottom lip to stop herself from voicing a retort and instead focused her energy on peddling away from the seemingly flawless little fortress of a house - guarded by thriving plant life and a sickeningly picturesque wooden fence - and towards the city as fast as she could. The actual distance wasn't great, however in order to make it to the examination arena in one piece, she would have to take the long way around. That would be the most rural streets or otherwise known as the roads least likely to be affected by that morning's rush hour, which could very well last past 8 o' clock, even 9, depending on the accident report. Forcing herself to ignore the urge to glance back at her _roof_, as Kieran had so aptly put it, she narrowed her eyes and huffed loudly into the atmosphere. It was a real blessing that the metal bodies of school buses, in junction with their generally poor-functioning mufflers, were so apt at drowning out outside noise, else she would surely have a horde of angry parents on her tail for corrupting their little angels' ears.

"Yes Father… We're too old for _this_ shit." She wished he could hear her, though nine times out of ten she rejected the opportunity to assuredly convey that message to him. Still, somehow her heart knew he heard it - _felt _her sentiment...or lack thereof. How could he not? After all, their hearts didn't pump entirely separate blood; on the contrary, it was largely the same in structure, no matter the difference in actual type. She wasn't one to dwell on the "miracles of science," as her junior high Biology professor liked to call it, but what information she did accept was that within the pair of them was some common thread that linked them on a cellular level. Kieran could obviously choose to disregard that, as could she, or as she could try to. "...Whatever. I'm wasting time…!"

With another determined shake of the head, she narrowed her eyes at the road and pedaled faster, her haste prompted by the desire both to arrive in time at the exam arena and put as much distance between herself and that unhappy house of a home as she could. She slowed a little when the city wrapped itself around her at last, welcoming yet another commuter into its kingdom, as it were, for the activity within the urban limits was a different animal altogether from that which was conducted outside. There was a sense of hectic community - of solidarity in the varying degrees of chaos which would engulf the occupants of the concrete jungle, yet also of irritation, annoyance, and urge to separate oneself from fellow man. There were and were not peers in the same instance, and while everyone acknowledged each other with a nod and "Good morning" of apparent familiarity, the reality was that few had any idea who each other were, and had absolutely no desire to remedy that.

In a sense, it was all a stage for one big production with a multi-million member cast.

Arriving at long last before the arena currently serving as Duel Academy's recruiting grounds, Alicia locked her bike in the designated area and scurried inside. There was a massive crowd all around the center, people shouting in the distance who had apparently begun their exams already, as well as a throng of people gathered in the rafters watching the tests commence - parents, students-to-be, current enrollees, professors alike. Without a regard to any of the spectators, the brunette identified the desk serving as headquarters for the portable enrollment office and approached, nodding respectfully to the staff opposite her in greeting. Immediately the pair of yellow and white garbed young women turned to the long list of names before them, prepared to write a check next to hers when she identified herself, but she turned to their superior and took out her high school ID.

"Alicia Muildónaich, please." The man nodded and looked down to his own list, decidedly shorter. He recalled her name; she had long since been in contact with the school's "special enrollment" board. "I'm registering under the Freshman scholarship application."

"Yes, Miss Muildónaich; I recall. Carlton Andros - we spoke on the phone a few times." He smiled, causing a few wrinkles in his face to ease away. He was a bit of an old man, but he retained a sense of youth about him - some sort of life. "From your written examination, we have already determined your eligibility for the scholarship enrollment; your registration fee has been waived. The status of your enrollment as well as the conditional tuition remains to be decided based on your performance this morning in the practical exam. Between you and me…" The corners of his mouth rose in a livelier smile, this one reaching up to put a sparkle in coal colored eyes. "...I wouldn't doubt you've earned it; you've definitely got a place here. All we need to know is for how much…"

She put forth a look conveying as much gratitude as possible...while still being disheartened. There was no doubt Andros wouldn't understand if she attempted to explain her response - real response, that was. After all, he couldn't possibly know that should she fail to earn one hundred percent of her tuition, she would have to do some sort of fast scrambling to put herself through the academy's doors. While her "family" (she'd started adding the quotation marks a few years back, inspired by the coldness in the house) certainly didn't want for money, Alicia couldn't call forth her so-called assets without her father's support. She was painfully lacking in _that_ department and such a void would most assuredly remain, if Kieran's decision was at all reflected in his rant that very morning. It generally was.

"Thank you…"

The brunette turned away from the registration desk and headed up into the actual arena to wait her turn; with her name putting her smack in the middle of the alphabet, she would probably be called soon no matter which direction the order was headed. Besides, she figured watching other people duel would give her a little bit of an advantage, given she could see well enough to take a few mental notes on the proctors' skill sets. She tried not to be nervous; it was an ongoing struggle that wasn't going particularly well. The pressure to succeed was something that she found difficult to put off for the moment, and it seemed like each name that was called, as it grew closer to her own, sent a new set of tremors through her system. She cast her eyes down at the floor for a moment to calm herself, yet her moment of peace was disturbed when her lack of concern for her surroundings saw her knock into what felt like another person. Rather, Alicia would argue, _he_ knocked into _her_ due to a disregard of _his_ personal space, but it didn't appear that, from the glare radiating from coal-black eyes, he would be taking the chivalrous route and corresponding burden of guilt upon himself.

"Watch where you're going!" His voice was deep, however the words he spat at her seemed more befitting a much higher tone - that of a four year old, to be precise. "The ground beneath me isn't for the likes of you…!"

Alicia cocked an eyebrow and squared herself to him, looking as unimpressed as possible. "Seems to me we're both as much at fault; I hope you don't expect people to bow out of your way…" She smirked a little. "...considering how big a bow it'd have to be to make room for that head of yours…"

The boy gaped for a moment at her response, decidedly unused to being challenged, before huffing and looking down his nose at her. "A low-class kid like you should show some respect to your senior! I'm…"

"The same age - aren't you?" A vein popped in his head at being interrupted - she sensed it. "Unless of course you've had one Hell of a battle with stunted growth; trouble at all sleeping at night? You know you won't get any taller in _any_ part of your puny-ass body without your recommended beauty sleep. But…" She pretended to inspect him, challengingly drawing her face near to his. "...you don't have dark circles, which would stick out like sore thumbs on that pasty shit you've got for skin, so I'm guessing you're fifteen and sleep tight like a baby every single night." While he appeared to be wrapping his mind around the fact that someone not only didn't run in fear from him but actually sent some line drives right through his ego, Alicia attempted to brush past him. "If you'll excuse me…"

His eyes flashed. "H-Hey…! Just who do you… Nevermind who _you _are! Do you have any idea who _I _am?!"

She ignored him, all save her reply. "I have a decent idea..."

"I'm Chazz Princeton - younger brother to Slade and Jagger of the Princeton Group! At least, that's what you're all calling us now, but soon we'll just be "The Three" - for our domination of all three key divisions on this planet!" He was busy numbering off the aforementioned components as he continued, thus left unawares of the eyes rolling emphatically in his direction. "Politics...Finance...Duel Monsters!"

"I see… So you'll be the unfortunate vestigial wheel - fourth in this case… Jagger must be spending his newly granted leisure time practicing his dueling skills. I guess when America's recession puts your company in the crapper there's no need to work fulltime… I do scan the Dow now and again, you know." Chazz processed the retort for a second before glaring at her in response. "Well, nice meeting you, in that case…" The girl continued to advance towards the dueling arena. "I can't really chat - I'm sure I'll be up for my exam soon."

Despite her efforts, the brat of an Obelisk-to-be followed closely at her heels before catching up to level with her, putting their strides in sync. She ignored him altogether, though she wished there weren't so many people around; it was much easier to teach lessons in back alleys than it was a crowded exam room… Plus, she doubted her scholarship awarded points for _that _kind of athleticism.

"Don't you walk away from…"

"_Alicia Muildónaich, your practical exam will begin in ten minutes. Alicia Muildónaich, please report to the testing area to begin your practical exam."_

The somewhat raspy voice coming over the intercom was like a sign from God; Alicia gave mental thanks to his divine mercy in giving her an escape route and made to head off towards the court, but a hand on hers ceased her movement. She rolled her eyes again as the Princeton brat blinked, staring blankly at her as though trying to confirm his understanding of who she was while at the same time not believing it. She really didn't have the patience to wait for him to sort out her father's notable name, as _that_ could take a while, so she pried her hand loose. Unfortunately, Chazz had recovered his ability to speak by then, and she felt obligated, for some reason, to at least lend him an ear.

"Muildónaich… Wait, don't tell me you're…" He paused and shook his head. "...no way! You've got those devil eyes - you _must _be! But… What's Muildónaich's kid need the scholarship fund for…?"

"Why's Slade Princeton's little brother ending his sentence with a preposition? That _can't _well represent an education befitting a supposed one-third of the world dictatorship; the man's promoters will shut your trap up with duct tape at the rate you're going…" The girl turned sharply on her heel and at last began to put some distance between herself and him. "Beat it. As you can tell, I now _officially_ have somewhere _much_ more important to be."

Alicia strode away with that, hoping to all powers of Heaven and Earth the boy wouldn't attempt to follow her. She had a sense he'd find it beneficial to try and foster a "friendship" with her based on the prominence of their families but she wasn't interested in assisting him. Besides, if he was set on getting into her father's good graces, wherever those may have gotten off to as of late, Chazz would no doubt have better luck sucking up to a lost puppy than to her. Fortunately, she did not hear footsteps trailing her as she made her way to the examination arena and so quickly put the Princeton out of her mind, though upon doing so realized she was much more nervous than she'd previously noted. Her legs felt increasingly wobbly the closer she drew to the arena - the clearer her opponent's violet proctor's coat became. She had prepared, but only for the duel itself; she had in no way braced for what would happen should she win _or_ lose. No matter how successful she was, there was no way getting to this school would be a walk in the park. She was going to have to pull some sort of stunt no matter what happened in this match...and knowing that was much more daunting than the task at hand. That being said, she took a deep breath and came to a stop at the edge of the arena to graciously receive a borrowed exam duel disk from an assistant.

"Good luck, Miss!"

She nodded to the yellow and white garbed young lady, not too much older than herself from what she could tell, but obviously well past her own Freshman year admission process. It was difficult, for her mind seemingly wandered in several other unrelated directions, but Alicia managed to give a verbal thanks in addition to her silent assent before turning to face the proctor across the field. She couldn't make out his expression at all - large, blocky glasses obscured most of his face - but that did not concern her. The girl couldn't afford to be concerned for his feelings at the moment, especially since this was in a sense her make it or break it opportunity (until the next appropriately titled situation came along, of course, which often happened after only a short period of time).

The man slid a card deck into the duel disk on his left arm and nodded in her direction. "Freshman scholarship applicant, Miss Alicia Muildónaich?"

Alicia returned the unspoken gesture and inserted her own cards into the slot on her left arm as well. "Yes sir."

There was a brief pause spanning a few seconds, yet it could have lasted an eternity for the sense of disconnect Alicia suddenly felt with her immediate surroundings - the to-be duel in particular, that was. A familiar face in the crowd of onlookers caught her eye, and she felt herself staring at him in an attempt to see whether he would disappear or not - if he _was _watching her or if her mind merely conjured him up for what it could give for moral support. The man did not disappear, not even after she clearly questioned his being there with blinking a few times while letting her mouth drop open a little to hang just ajar. He did not smile - not truly - but what he did do was raise a thumb to her before motioning towards the proctor; _"Just focus!" _In response, she shook her head a little and did not look back to him; as he'd suggested, her attention was once again on the proctor, who was already adding a fifth card to his hand. She scrambled a little to catch her own hand up.

"Begin."

* * *

Again, thanks so much for reading! If you would, please take the time to review! I would really appreciate it, and I will always get you back!


End file.
